Munition

ABSTRACT

1. A bomb comprising an enlarged weighted nose portion, a constricted neck portion and an enlarged tail portion, said tail portion comprising an ampule having a conical wall and having its smaller end mounted within said restricted neck portion, a closure for the larger end of said ampule wall, a cover surrounding and in contact with the larger end and the conical wall of said ampule and secured to said constricted neck portion, said ampule and cover forming a casing having a conical cavity, the larger end of which is relatively fragile as compared to the walls thereof; and an explosive charge mounted within said enlarged nose portion adjacent to the smaller end of said ampule.

Elnited States Patent [191 Brohawn 1 Aug. 13, 1974 MUNITION [75]Inventor: Charles L. Brohawn, Halethorpe,

[22] Filed: Dec. 10, 1957 [21] Appl. No.: 319,803

2,702,599 2/1955 Sights 102/90 Rl7,365 7/1929 Bradner et al. 102/39Primary ExaminerSamuel W. Engle Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Edward J.Kelly; Edward Berl EXEMPLARY CLAIM 1. A bomb comprising an enlargedweighted nose portion, a constricted neck portion and an enlarged tailportion, said tail portion comprising an ampule having a conical walland having its smaller end mounted within said restricted neck portion,a closure for the larger end of said ampule wall, a cover surroundingand in contact with the larger end and the conical wall of said ampuleand secured to said constricted neck portion, said ampule and coverforming a casing having a conical cavity, the larger end of which isrelatively fragile as compared to the walls thereof; and an explosivecharge mounted within said enlarged nose portion adjacent to the smallerend of said ampule.

5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures MUNITION The invention described herein maybe manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United Statesof America for governmental purposes without the payment to me of anyroyalty thereon.

This invention relates generally to an aerosol generator andspecifically to a device for creating a stable aerosol that containsviable material that has a particle size that falls within a prescribedrange.

An object of this invention is to provide a biological munition whichproduces a highly effective cloud of aerosols when the munition bursts.

Another object of this invention is to provide a biological munitionthat has a compartment for the biological material which is speciallydesigned and constructed to create a highly effective cloud of aerosolswhen the munition bursts.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a biologicalmunition having a specially designed and constructed compartment for abiological agent which particularly lends itself to being readilyincluded in a dumbbell-shaped, airborne-type munition.

These and other objects will become apparent from the followingdescription and claims when considered in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal, sectional view of a biological agentcompartment mounted for test firing.

HO. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal, sectional view taken through the center of adumbbell-shaped, airborne-type bomb having my invention incorporatedtherein.

In producing cloud formations of aerosols, particularly when dealingwith viable material, certain well established limitations must becontended with. Of primary importance are the basic requirements for abiological munition, which are that a stable aerosol should be created,a desirable concentration of aerosols should be attained, and theparticle size of the biological material should fall within the range ofl to 4 microns. Some of the variables that affect aerosol and cloudformation are: l Rate of expansion of the agent material upon ejection;this affects the velocity of the agent material which in turn affectsthe size of the aerosols and the size of the cloud, and (2) the shearingforces created upon ejection; this affects the viability of the aerosol.Further, it has been scientifically established that aerosols ofa sizeof 5 microns or less do not travel more than three inches on their ownmomentum; therefore the shape and height of the aerosols when they havereached the desirable micron level to be effective as a biological agentl to 4 microns) will determine the lethal effectiveness of the clouds.

Prior to my invention the most common theory of ejection utilized astraight, cylindrical, agent compartment. l have discovered that aconically shaped, agent compartment is more effective than a straight,cylindrical, agent compartment. l have found further that a conicallyshaped, agent compartment that has an opening with an included angle ofl4 16 is the most effective shape. H6. 1 shows a cylindrical munitionelement 10, having formed therein a tapered bore 11 which together withcertain end closures to be described subsequently constitutes aconically shaped agent compartment 12 which is mounted in a firingfixture 14 for test firing. While FIG. 1 shows the element 10 mountedfor test firing, and is not necessarily the precise completed device thebasic essentials of my invention are apparent from this figure. Myinvention-basically includes the munition element 10 and its endclosures. Specifically, cylindrical munition element 10 has externallythreaded ends 16 and 18, and parallel gripping surfaces 20 formedthereon and is closed at its upper end by self-sealing rubber diaphragm22, parallel, brass diaphragm 24 and mounting collar 26 and is closed atits lower end by rubber gasket 30 and metal disk 32. Sponge rubber shockabsorber 28 is positioned in compartment 12 adjacent to rubber gasket30. The munition element 10 is secured to the firing fixture 14 by ring33 which is threaded onto threaded portion 18 of said munition elementand threaded portion 34 of the firing base 36. Said firing base houses aconventional firing assembly 38 which includes propellant 40 and primercap 42.

It should be kept clearly in mind, that while the munition element 10illustrated in FIG. 1 can actually be physically included in certaintypes of bombs, the principle of conical ejection can be embodied in alarge variety of types of bombs such as the one illustrated in FIG. 3,which will be described subsequently. The paramount purpose of FIG. 1 isto illustrate the fundamental concept and nature of the invention,specifically, that it contemplates an entirely new theory of aerosolejection.

The structure illustrated in FIG. 1 operates in the following manner:prior to placing the brass diaphragm 24 in position, the liquidbiological agent is introduced into the chamber 12 by inserting ahypodermic needle through the rubber diaphragm 22. During this step, therubber diaphragm 22 can be held in a fluid tight relationship withelement 10 by any conventional means. Upon removal of the hypodermicneedle, rubber diaphragm 22 seals itself automatically and brassdiaphragm 24 is placed and secured in position. Upon striking the primercap 42, the propellant is ignited, creating pressure on the diaphragms30 and 32, thereby rupturing them, then building up pressure in thechamber 12 and ultimately rupturing diaphragms 22 and 24 and ejectingthe contents thereof into the atmosphere. Upon entrance into theatmosphere, the cloud of aerosols is formed. As was previouslymentioned, a biological munition having a conically shaped, agentcompartment is far superior to one having a cylindrical, agentcompartment, and one having a conically shaped, agent compartment havingan included angle of 14 16 is most effective. Therefore, in its broadestaspect my invention resides in providing a conically shaped agentcompartment in any type of biological munition which disseminatesaerosols. FIG. 1 is intended merely to illustrate this concept by way ofexample, the specific structural arrangement shown therein being merelyone structural form of the invention that will operate.

Conically shaped agent compartments lend themselves to inclusion invarious biological munitions. Compartment elements such as munitionelement 10 may be physically inserted into a bomb or the bomb casing maybe designed to include a conical compartment. A conically shapedcompartment can be readily incorporated into dumbbell-shaped, drop bombsof the clusterable, airbome-type such as the one shown in FIG. 3. In thebomb illustrated in FIG. 3, the conically shaped compartment isincorporated in conically shaped, plastic ampule 50 which is shownmounted in one of the conically shaped ends of dumbbell-shaped bomb 52.An outstanding feature of this arrangement is that the conical shape ofthe ampule 50 lends itself to efficient incorporation in one of theconically shaped ends of the bomb. The other end 54 of the bomb isweighted and includes a conventional air-arming fuse (not shown), apropellant 56 housed in a suitable container 58, and a sponge rubber,shock absorber 60 which is positioned between the propellant 56 and thelower, flat, portion 62 of ampule 50. Generally, conically shaped ampule50 snugly fits within a complementary-shaped compartment formed byrecessed, upper portion 55 of the weighted end 54, and the cover 64.

Cover 64 may be fabricated in any convenient, conven- I tional manner soas to facilitate the assembly of the ampule into the bomb. For example,the upper, flat portion 74 of the cover 64 may be removable to permitthe insertion of the ampule from the top. Regardless of the details ofthe fabrication of cover 64, the narrow neck portion 76 thereof firmlygrips portion 55 of the weighted end 54 by a friction or equivalentjoint.

The plastic cap 66, which constitutes the upper extremity of plasticampule 50, is sealed to the upper end 65 of the conically shaped, bottomportion 67 of the ampule at seam 68 after the agent material has beenplaced in the bottom portion. By making the ampule and cap of athermoplastic material, the seam can be heat sealed. Polyethylene is awell suited plastic to be used for the ampule 50, for it meets the basicrequirements for this element of being: l thermoplastic, (2) elastic,and (3) inert to biological agent materials. A shock absorbing, rubberdiaphragm 70 is positioned parallel to and contiguous with the cap 66,and is retained in position by collar 72. When incorporated in amunition of the type shown in FIG. 3, the plastic ampules containing theagent material may be stored under the most desirable storing conditionsfor said material and inserted into the bomb just prior to use. The modeof operation and theory of ejection of the bomb illustrated in FIG. 3 isthe same as that of the munition element shown in F 1G. 1. The end 54 isweighted to insure that upon detonation the wider end of the agentcompartment points upwardly.

Having described two embodiments of my invention in great detail, I donot intend thereby to limit my invention to said embodiments but intendto embrace all equivalent structure falling within the spirit of myinvention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A bomb comprising an enlarged weighted nose portion, a constrictedneck portion and anenlarged tail portion, said tail portion comprisingan ampule having a conical wall and having its smaller end mountedwithin said restricted neck portion, a closure for the larger end ofsaid ampule wall, a cover surrounding and in'contact with the larger endand the conical wall of said ampule and secured to said constricted neckportion, said ampule and cover forming a casing having a conical cavity,the larger end of which is relatively fragile as compared to the wallsthereof; and an explosive charge mounted within said enlarged noseportion adjacent to the smaller end of said ampule.

2. A bomb as defined in claim 1 wherein said ampule is formed of plasticand said cover is formed of metal.

pule and said cover.

1. A bomb comprising an enlarged weighted nose portion, a constrictedneck portion and an enlarged tail portion, said tail portion comprisingan ampule having a conical wall and having its smaller end mountedwithin said restricted neck portion, a closure for the larger end ofsaid ampule wall, a cover surrounding and in contact with the larger endand the conical wall of said ampule and secured to said constricted neckportion, said ampule and cover forming a casing having a conical cavity,the larger end of which is relatively fragile as compared to the wallsthereof; and an explosive charge mounted within said enlarged noseportion adjacent to the smaller end of said ampule.
 2. A bomb as definedin claim 1 wherein said ampule is formed of plastic and said cover isformed of metal.
 3. A bomb as defined in claim 2 wherein said plastic ispolyethylene.
 4. A bomb as defined in claim 1 wherein a shock absorberis positioned between said ampule and said explosive charge.
 5. A bombas defined in claim 4 wherein a shock absorber is positioned between thelarger end of said ampule and said cover.